Railroad-signal



(No Model.)

G. W. BLODGETT & G. R. HARDY.-

RAILROAD SIGNAL.

210,284,116. Patented Sept. 11, 1883 Inuenioray khf I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WV. BLOBGETT, OF BOSTON, AND GEORGE E. HARDY, NEWTON,

MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,716, dated September 11, 1883.

Applicatinnfiled January 15, 1883. (No model.)

B To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. BLODGETT, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and.State of Massachusetts, and GEORGE R. HARDY, of Newton, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Railroad- Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to visible signals for night use on railroads; and it consists in an apparatus composed of a series of fixed lamps and a series of adj ustable screens, some of which are opaque and the others of colored glass or equivalent material, adapted to move simulta neously in front of said lamps, the opaque screens concealing one or more of the lamps in either position to which the screens may be adjusted, and thereby leaving either a horizontal or a vertical series of lamps in sight, the visible lamps of the horizontal series being colored red by a part of the transparent screens,

and one or more of the visible lamps of the vertical series being colored green by one or more of the transparent screens, as we will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figures 1 and 2 represent front elevations of a signal apparatus embodying our invention. Fig. 3 represents a modification.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In carrying out our invention we provide asuitable standard or post, A, with supports for lamps or lanterns WV, NV, and G. The lanterns WV which give a white or colorless. light, are arranged on the same level, and constitute what may be called a horizontal series. The lantern G, which is adapted to emit a green light, is arranged under the lantern W, said lanterns G and W forming a vertical series. 7

To the post A is pivoted, at B, a hub or plate, 0, to whichare rigidly attached four radiating arms, bearing, respectively, screens or disks 0, R, G, and R.

0 represents a screen on a lever, P, which is pivoted at E to the post A, and is connected by a rod, F, with one of the radiating arms on the plate 0, so that the screen 0 will move in unison with the other screens when the same are rotated on the pivot of the plate 0. The screens are normally held in the positions shown in Fig. l by a weighted bell-crank lever, H, or other suitable device, which is connected by a wire rope with an operating-lever at any desired point. In this position the screens R R, which are composed of red glass or other equivalent transparent or translucent material, are directly in front of the lamps \V W, and impart a red color to the light therefrom, and the screen 0, which is a disk of opaque material, is in front of the green lamp G. The two red lights at the same level are thus displayed, said lights indicating danger.

cal series, and each emitting a green light, and 7 5 thus both by their color and position indicating a safe condition of the track.

It will be observed that provision isthus made for simultaneously displaying two lamps of the same color, indicating both by their position and color the condition of the track.

It will also be seen that in case one lamp of either series is accidentally extinguished the other will afford the desired information.

The possibility of accident resulting from fail= 8-5 ure to understand the signals is thus greatly reduced.

It is obvious that the lower lamp, G, may emit a white instead of a green light, and may be made to emit a green light by a glass screen supported by the lever P and brought before the lamp G when said lever is in the position shown in Fig. 2. V

A modification is shown in Fig. 3, in which twoadditional glass screens, B B, having a 5 different color from the screens E, R; and G, are supported by the pivoted plate 0. The screens B B are adapted to simultaneously cover the lamps WV NV, and thus increase the capacity of the signal code by giving a differ- IOC ent color to the light from said lamps. If desired, the lever P .may have an additional The 70 screen, B, which may be colored or, opaque, and is brought into use simultaneously with the screens B B.

For day use, a target, T, is employed on one of the arms of the plate 0.

We claim 1. In a visible signal, the combination of a series of fixed lamps and devices, substantially as described, whereby certain of said lamps are displayed in either of two series, each se; 'ries indicating, both by the color and position of the lamps comprising it, the condition of the track, as set forth.

2. A visible-signal apparatus composed of a series of fixed lamps and a series of adj ustable screens, some of which are opaque and the others of colored translucent or transparent material adapted to move simultaneously in front of said lamps, the opaque screens concealing one or more of the lamps in either position to which the screens may be adjusted, and thereby leaving either a horizontal or vertical series of lamps in sight, the visible lamps, or a part of them, being colored by the transparent screens, as set forth.

3. A visible-signal apparatus comprising a number of lamps arranged in two series, one substantially horizontal and the other substantially vertical, and a series of connected and simultaneon sly-movin g screens, some of which are of colored translucent or transparent material and the rest opaque, as set forth.

4. In a visible signal, a series of lamps arranged to present two in a horizontal and two in a vertical series, combined with a series of 3 5 movable screens, operating simultaneously in front of said lamps to conceal one lamp of the horizontal series and impart a distinctive color to the other when the signal is set to indicate safety, and to conceal one lamp of the vertical series and impart a different color to both lamps of the horizontal series when the signal is set to indicate danger, as set forth.

5. The combination of the lamps W W, arranged horizontally, the colored lamp G, arranged vertically with relation to the lamp W, the screens B, R, G, and 0, adapted to oscillate together before the lamps V W, and the screen 0, adapted to oscillate with the other 

